Social Ministry

Maximizing Social Mediafor Churches & Ministries.

today’s goals1. Why your church/ministry should be engaging in social media2. Which networks are right for you?3. What kind of content should you post?4. How to manage social media when you‟re short on time5. How to integrate social media with your current website & print materials. socialministry.tumblr.com

social media ministrysocialministry.tumblr.com

social media ministry SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL MINISTRY✢Finding Old Friends ✢Powerful✢Sharing Information ✢Potential✢Convenient/Easy ✢A “Team Sport”✢Fun ✢Discipleship✢Time-Waster ✢The Future!

why engage with social ministry?1. Connect2. Engage3. Inform4. Location, location, location!5. It‟s Free!socialministry.tumblr.com

social ministry usage #1: connectYes, we are in ministry, but networking andcommunication are required!✛ Be more easily found by people looking for a church✛ Connect with volunteers✛ Connect with other people who do what you do and get quick access to quality resources that they share on their own tweets, blogs, or Facebook 1✛ Supporters will have a greater sense of being connected with you through more communication.(Consider using Facebook & Twitter lists to stayorganized)

social ministry usage #2: engageYou have a unique story to share, and yourvoice is important!✛ We have an opportunity to join in a global conversation going on all around us every day, and to engage in ministry every day.✛ Disciple your volunteers/campers long after they‟ve gone home for the summer (consider using Facebook 2 Groups to do this)(??)

social ministry usage #3: informSocial media provides a great platform toquickly reach a large number of people.✛ Sharing – Not only can you reach people, but by reaching your fans/friends/followers, you enable all of THEM to join the team, and to easily pass along invites and information to family & friends.✛ This, in turn, increases awareness for 3 your ministry.

social ministry usage #4: locationEVERYONE IS ALREADY THERE!8 years ago, all we had werewebsites. But…✛ Websites will NEVER see the kind of traffic that Social Media will.✛ Websites will never have the kind of personal investment/engagement from your users that Social Media will. 4

social ministry usage #5: costIt‟sFREE! 5

also…• Jesus was masterful at communicating spiritual truths in settings and with language that connected with his listeners.• Paul strived to be fluent in the language of his culture (1 Cor. 9:22).• When used wisely, social media is a powerful tool for church leaders serious about this rich legacy of contextualized communication.• This is the language of our listeners!

the negatives1. Time Consumption2. Distraction3. Escapism4. Security

it’s all in how you use them…✛These can all be helpful ministry tools depending on how they‟re used, and how you feel most comfortable communicating.✛God will use whatever He needs to useto accomplish his purposes.

so many choices, where to start? What social networks should your church/ministry be on?socialministry.tumblr.com

which social networks should your church/ministry be on? 1. WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE/COMMUNITY ✛ Know your community. ✛ Recognize what is the best tool to communicate with them. 2. CHOOSE BOTH FOR AND AGAINST… ✛ Are you intentionally not using a specific social network because it‟s not the best tool for you? ✛ Or are you unfamiliar with it?

facebooksocialministry.tumblr.com

facebook pagesFor public figures, organizations & businesses.✛ Page Administrators (there can be more than one) can be private for added security or public if it makes more sense.✛ Liking - People and other pages (churches, other ministries, businesses, public figures) can connect to your page by “liking” your page and becoming your fan.✛ Work hard to form connections with logical ministry partners, and network with influencers who might extend your ministry‟s reach.✛ Your page‟s content is distributed virally when your audience responds to or shares it.✛ You can use facebook‟s insights to track what content is most relevant/most viral for your audience.(Note: See your resource guide for how to best use facebook’snew “timeline” feature for your church.)

socialministry.tumblr.com

facebook events• A great way to inform fans about upcoming events• Upon creating an event, a News Feed story with event info will post to your Page or Profile, and your audience can RSVP.• You can increase RSVPs by posting status updates leading up to the Event, emailing lists, and linking from your website/blog.• Be careful about creating an event and people thinking that an RSVP there is “good enough” if you want them to RSVP online.(TIP: Creatively promote your next event with more than justa simple announcement. Maybe a video? Fun photos?)

facebook groupsFacebook Groups are a great resource for privatecommunication.1. Control who sees your group (3 levels of security) • Secret – only members can see the group and what members post. • Closed – anyone can see the group. Only members can see the posts. • Open (public) – Anyone can see the group and what members post.2. Share with the group • Post updates, questions, photos & more • Chat with the group (You could have set „office hours‟ to communicate with the members of your group) • Create shared docs • Schedule group events3. Stay in the know 1. Get notified about new posts so you never miss an update 2. Connect off Facebook using the group‟s shared email address.(www.facebook.com/groups get started & find out more!)

twittersocialministry.tumblr.com

what is twitter?Twitter is a worldwide information network made of nomore than 140-charater messages.✛ The users are generally the “influencers” of society (politicians, celebrities, public figures, organizations), although it‟s also used by many individuals.✛ Messages are short & sweet & frequent!The Rules✛ 140 character Max✛ You can‟t tweet too often!

facebook vs. twitter FACEBOOK TWITTER✛ Facebook is for good for ✛ Twitter is good for connecting with people connecting with people who share common that you already know. interests✛ Local news/events ✛ Breaking news✛ Help on an issue ✛ New learning & discovery✛ 500 million total users ✛ 106 million total users • 48% men, 52% women • 46% men, 54% women • 60% located outside the US • 70% located outside the US • 52% update status daily • 41% login every day • 87% of people in the world are aware of Twitter • 88% of people in the world are aware of Facebook ✛ 22 million daily unique visitors✛ 310 million daily unique ✛ 600 million searches visitors daily** socialministry.tumblr.com

so….who’s on twitter?✛ Twitter has the largest division of users with a secondary education✛ 37% have at least a bachelor‟s degree.✛ Twitter has the largest division of wealthy users with 27% earning 75k or more

the twittonary✛Tweet - the message itself✛Tweeting – the act of posting a message to twitter✛Followers – your “friends” or subscribers on Twitter✛Follow – to subscribe to their Tweets and updates on the site

the twittonary✛@ (Mention) - the @ sign is used to call out usernames in Tweets, like this: Loved hearing from @socialministry1 @wheatonbible today…wow, #SocialMedia is awesome! When a username is preceded by an @ sign, it becomes a link to a Twitter profile. This is also called a “mention.”✛DM (Direct Message) – These tweets are private between only the sender and the recipient. Regular tweets become DMs when they begin with d Username (like d lizcarverdesign) to specify who the message is for

the twittonary✛ReTweet – The act of forwarding another user‟s tweet to all of your followers. Often used to spread news or share valuable findings on Twitter. Often abbreviated by RT.✛# (Hashtag) – Hashtags are used to categorize your tweet and tag it in a global tweet “cloud.”(Example: So excited for what God is doing inSpain #Larcada #CCISpain)

how to get started on twitter…1. Find people you know & follow them.2. Find like-minded users.3. Find people in your area.4. Get a desktop or mobile client (TweetDeck or HootSuite)5. Start tweeting!

video 1 in 4 Americans watches a video online each daysocialministry.tumblr.com

youtube✛ Over 3 billion video views per day✛ Over 35 hours of video uploaded per minute✛ More video is uploaded to YouTube in one month than the 3 major US networks created in 60 years✛ YouTube‟s demographic is broad: 18-54 years old✛ Nearly 17 million people have connected their YouTube account to at least one social service (Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, Buzz, etc.)✛ There are more than 500 tweets pre minute containing a YouTube link✛ Millions of subscriptions happen each day.A great example of a successful youtube channel is WorldRelief: www.youtube.com/user/WorldRelief

vimeo✛ Sharp quality✛ Most popular with artists and businesses who want to show their rich and digital media savvy✛ The first (2007) consumer-accessible video hosting site to offer high definition playback✛ For businesses – Vimeo Plus…this is where Vimeo TROUNCES YouTube. It allows businesses to put their own logo on embedded players, gives clients analytics tools that rival those provided by Google for web pages, and even allows clients to create custom portfolio websites to represent their products and values.Check out World Relief http://vimeo.com/worldrelief

blogging & rsssocialministry.tumblr.com

bloggingBlog (a blend of the term web log) – can be a noun ora verb.✛ A blog is a type of website or a part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time.✛ Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.✛ Entries are displayed in reverse-chronological order.✛ Good quality blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments. This interactivity distinguishes them from other static websites.

types of blogsAlthough most blogs are textual, some focus on differenttopics:✛ Art (art blog)✛ Sketches (sketchblog)✛ Links (linklog)✛ Photographs (photoblog)✛ Videos (vlogging or video blogging)✛ Music (mp3 blog)✛ Audio (podcasting)✛ Spam (splog)✛ Microblogging – very short posts✛ Mixed media types (tumblelog)

blogging platformsWhich platform is right for me? (all free, of course!)✛ Wordpress - a free hosting solution that has the powerful wordpress software behind it. (lifeatwheatonbiblechurch.com)✛ Blogger - The features of WordPress but with more control over design.✛ Tumblr (a tumblelog platform) - A hybrid between Twitter‟s micro-blogging sensibilities combined with the full, entry-based approach of a traditional blog. No expertise needed! (vidaenidp.tumblr.com)

how to get started blogging1. Choose your platform!2. Name your blog & determine your “voice”3. Connect it with other social networks (send your posts to facebook, tweet your posts, and feed your tweets to your blog)4. Tell the world about your blog!5. Get writing. Integrate it into your daily routine.6. Subscribe to other relevant blogs, and share content readily.

photo Sharing, Storage & More!socialministry.tumblr.com

flickrFlickr is an image hosting (and video hosting) website andonline community✛ Widely used by bloggers to host images that they embed in blogs & social media✛ 51 million register members✛ Hosts more than 6 billion images✛ The Flickr social shareability includes an RSS feed and API enables independent programmers to expand its services.✛ Works as the primary storage site for many organziations.World Relief’s Flickr STREAM:www.flickr.com/photos/worldreliefbend/

instagr.am“Fast, beautiful photo sharing for your iPhone”Includes photo taking, photo editing, and photosharing – all in one! (27 million users to date)Each photo is shared to Instagram & can be shared toother social networks as well:✛ Facebook✛ Twitter✛ Foursquare✛ Tumblr✛ Flickr

streaming content LiveStream, Ustream, we all Stream!socialministry.tumblr.com

which stream to choose? USTREAM.TV LIVESTREAM.COM✛ Ustream allows you to ✛ Livestream limits the stream anything live viewer limit to 50 over the internet. ✛ Basically the same as✛ Free to sign up for Ustream!✛ Over 2,000,000 registered users who generate 1.5+ million hours of live streamed content per month. socialministry.tumblr.com

location-based networks The “Where‟s Waldo?” of Social Networkingsocialministry.tumblr.com

location-based networking✛ Location based services allow users to connect with others based on their current locations.✛ In most cases, people use their smartphones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry), to “check-in” to businesses like restaurants, bars and stores they visit.✛ These locations are then broadcasted to their online friends.

why location-based networking is important!1. Free word of mouth (if users see their friends check in to a location, they may be more likely to visit)2. Reviews (most location-based tools allow users to write review of the places they frequent. These reviews are then shared with other users who check in to those locations.3. Specials – sites allow businesses to unlock special deals by checking in. These specials encourage frequency, first-time visits, and competition among customers.

foursquareUsers “check-in” at venues using a mobile website, textmessaging, or an app. Location is based on GPS hardware in themobile device. Mayorship – if a user has checked-in to a venue on more days than anyone else in the past 60 days, they will be crowned the “mayor” of that venue. Badges – badges are earned by checking into various venues. (On October 22, 2010, astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock unlocked the NASA Explorer badge by checking into foursquare from the International Space Station.) Superuser status – There are 3 levels of superuser status, selected by foursquare staff for their helpful contributions to the community.http://foursquare.com/business/

google+ Google+ integrates social services such as Google Profiles and Google Buzz, organizes people into Circles, creates group video chat spots called Hangouts, and Sparks. Sparks allow users to identify topics they might be interested in sharing with others. Now integrates Picnik (online photo editor) and Picasa. Google Pages opened on November 7, which allows users to set up profiles and the syndication of posts relating to organizations.

what should i say? What kind of content should you be posting online?socialministry.tumblr.com

facebook post ideas:1. Share an interesting article or video & ask for comments.2. Encourage people to share prayer requests or stories of answered prayers.3. Post written or video stories from people at your church.4. Ask people questions that allow them to quickly share something about themselves (What was your favorite Easter memory? What are you doing for Christmas? What made you laugh the hardest this week?)5. Use facebook/twitter to ask questions or generate conversation around sermon topics.6. Ask people to share a photo. Create a “caption contest”7. Post photos from every event! Have them ready by the time attendees get online. BE THE FIRST – AND DO IT BEST!8. Remember – don’t just start the conversation and run. Engaging with people means respond to comments.

twitter do’s and don’ts1. Do have a plan – spend time wisely by setting aside a specific time in the morning and late afternoon to use Twitter for ministry purposes, sharing content and engaging with other users during that time.2. Don’t over-promote – Use the 80/20 rule of marketing. Spend 80 percent of your Twitter time on activities that are NOT self-promotional. Offer diverse tweets in your stream.3. Do integrate Twitter with other marketing initiatives – cross-promote your marketing initiatives in every way you can. (Follow me icon on website/blog/facebook, link in email signature and brand your Twitter profile)4. Don’t get too personal or negative – Google indexes tweets and the Library of Congress archives them.5. Do engage & interact – it‟s not all about you!

the next level of twitter… Let‟s Get Creative!

the uniqueness of twitter: instant feedback✛ Gather real-time feedback. People can send questions and input to a twitter feed, which end up projected right there during lectures. Study other peoples‟ insights.✛ Answer Questions – streamline the process by allowing people to answer questions via Twitter rather than raising hands.Mars Hill – At the end of sermons, Mark Driscoll answersquestions that are submitted via Twitter during his message.The questions are real. The answers are raw. And it adds anelement to the conversation that can‟t be achievedotherwise.

the uniqueness of twitter: pitch an idea

the uniqueness of twitter – research

get creative in 140 characters✛ A two-minute testimony?✛ How about a 140-character testimony?✛ Play a fun story-go-round✛ Set up a poll✛ _______ of the day✛ Keep up with current events✛ Host a Twitter scavenger hunt✛ Fun with bible figures – The Bronx Zoo Cobra

going viral…“Viral marketing is basically anything that encouragespeople to pass on a message to others, thus creating thepossibility for rapid growth in both it’s exposure &influence.”• In order to create a “virus”, you need to have “carriers”• The virus being your message, post, event, video, etc.• The carriers are Facebook friends & fans who after they either become your “friend” or “like” your fan page will receive all your future updates through the News Feed.• Friends like Friends like Friends like Friends.SO, what are the steps to going viral?

going viral: increase social connections Increasing fans improves visibility. Increasing fans builds credibility. Increasing fans spreads your information, and therefore brand to a much wider audience socialministry.tumblr.com 1

going viral: have content that’s worthyKINDS OF CONTENT: PEOPLE WILL SHARE IF IT IS…✛Articles & Blog Posts ✛Hilarious✛Interactive content ✛Incredible/Unbelievable(games, widgets, quizzes) ✛Deeply Emotional✛Video & Audio ✛Agrees with our(vlogs/podcasts) Worldview ✛Makes us Stop & Think✛Infographics ✛Isn‟t covered by socialministry.tumblr.com Mainstream Media ✛It will make someone smile. ✛It is dramatic. 2

going viral: promotion✛ ENABLE & ENCOURAGE SHARING: Include easy-to-use buttons for all major sharing sites on your blog/website, embed codes for images to encourage sharing, and use incentives for sharing (if we get to 1000 shares, we do X)✛ TEAM PLAYERS: Team players share content on their own wall, on the walls of friends/family who would be interested, and engage in discussions.✛ SPEND TIME WISELY: Worthwhile places to spend time: 3 ✛ The places where the “connectors” hang out – Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Delicious ✛ Twitter – having a person of influence tweet something puts it in front of a lot of people at the same time. ✛ Blogs – By finding bloggers of authority who are willing to post your content, you can increase your awareness socialministry.tumblr.com

viral marketing wrapup1. Increase Social Connections2. Have content that is worthy of sharing3. PromoteSo…ask yourself…✛ WHAT CAN YOU DO TO INCREASE THE SOCIAL REACH OF YOUR CHURCH?✛ WHAT SORT OF CONTENT DO YOU HAVE ALREADY THAT IS WORTHY OF SHARING?✛ HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALLY IN SHARING?✛ WHO CAN YOU GET ON YOUR „TEAM‟?

rss feeds explainedWhat is RSS?✛ RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content.✛ Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.Why RSS?✛ You save time by not needing to visit each site individually.✛ You ensure your privacy, by not needing to join each sites email newsletter.What do I need to do to read an RSS Feed?✛ RSS Feed Readers and News Aggregators✛ Feed Reader or News Aggregator software allow you to grab the RSS feeds from various sites and display them for you to read and use.

…but i have no time! How to maximize social media with just a few minutes a daysocialministry.tumblr.com

be like goldilocksStart with what you can,and STAY ACTIVE!✛ Make Social Media a part of your daily or weekly routine, just as you check emails, do weekly chores.✛ Remember not to start the conversation and walk away! socialministry.tumblr.com

consider connecting facebook & twitterSend Twitter Tweets to Facebook.twitter.com/about/resources/widgets/facebookSend Facebook profile posts or page posts toTwitter.facebook.com/twitter

use hootsuiteScheduling Programs like HootSuite and TweetDeck allow you to write your updates for a week in one sitting.

where does print/website fit in? Integrate social media into your current communication piecessocialministry.tumblr.com

in print, use qr codes✛ Quick Response codes are visual links to websites/any online content.✛ Can be created easily by using a QR Code Generator.✛ Can be printed in bulletins, on signs, can replace printed content for those who use smartphones.

online, use pinterest• A visual board-styled social photo sharing website and app where users create and manage theme-based image collections.• Mission statement: to connect everyone in the world through shared tastes and the “things” they find interesting.• Users label and create theme-based image boards. Users can populate their own boards with media found online.• Pins may be divided into pictures, videos, discussion & gifts.✛Beautiful, addicting, and fun!✛Great for christmas gifts, creating visual bulletin boards,creating recipe books, etc.

The End.

Where to find me:✛ Liz Carver Communication Manger/Web & Digital Media Wheaton Bible Church lcarver@wheatonbible.org✛ Social Ministry on Twitter @socialministry1✛ Social Ministry blog: http://socialministry.tumblr.com✛ Social Ministry on Facebook✛ Social Media Powerpoints are available on SlideShare: http://slideshare.net/lcarver1 socialministry.tumblr.com

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Social Ministry

by Liz Carver

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